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Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Reports and reaction from the 2008-09 season as Walsall finished 13th in League 1
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WFC_Rob
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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:38 pm

Bernie wrote:Why do people go over the top knocking our young players? Everyone of them out there yesterday gave his all for 90 minutes: it is not their fault if we are short of decent experienced players who should be out there ahead of them.

I think you miss the issue in saying that.
I've been critical of our younger players, but that's simply because they're not (yet) good enough to be playing every week. I'm convinced Taundry, Bradley and Deeney have gone backwards in terms of their development purely because they've been forced to play far too much. No other side at our level has such a large make-up of inexperience.

I'm sure that one day, the likes of Bradley and Taundry will make decent footballers, quite possibly at our level. The way they've been managed over the last 12 months however has hindered their careers rather than helped them, as far as I'm concerned.

philthesaddler
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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:18 pm

I'll add my two penneth worth in reaction to other peoples comments...

Palmer... didnt think he was that bad today, he's played much much worse and still been praised by some, so I dont understand why some say he was awful today. It did help that their right winger was completely crap and couldn't take him on, except for once when he nearly scored.

Deeney... I thought the lad had an excellent game, on another day he could have had a hat-trick, so give him praise.

Jabo... excellent? Really? He's definately lost a yard of pace since the start of the season, and why doesnt he make runs any more. 2 or 3 times Zaboob or Nicholls or Reich were raring forward, and both Deeney and Jabo couldn't be bothered to make a run, giving the attacking midfielder no option at all.

Manny Smith ... liability, as others have said, seems to have no confidence at all in what he's doing. Will he improve? Personally, I dont think so, because he doesnt even show that many glimmers of potential.

Mattis ... looked unfit, well off the pace.

Zaboob ... this is why he should be playing, he's a proper winger, he was the only player that was going to make something happen for us so he has to play, week in week out.

Referee, very poor, how he had the cheek to intercept a pass from Reich, then bring play back for an injury/foul - I don't know!! Then Deeney had a shot that the defender clearly got his boot to, all the Hereford team started trotting back for a corner, and the ref gave a goal kick... :roll:

Decent game, poor attendance, no real difference in terms of Walsall fans although the Floors 2 go upper did seem more busy, but by only a hundred or so. Next week we're playing at a neutral venue, and it might be the worst day i've ever known as a Walsall fan, to be outnumered at home.

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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:17 pm

**** NEWS FLASH ***

Phil has not moaned about Palmer is this a 1st ? :D

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:28 am

Well, I was going to do a considered match reaction, but there's no point, as WFC Rob got it absolutely spot on:

http://upthesaddlers.com/wp/archives/20 ... ereford-1/

What Saturday showed is the paucity of the so-called "team building" done by Mullen. He managed to acquire a load of crocks and misfits who, when they are together as an ELEVEN ain't bad. Trouble is, you need 16 or 17 players over a season and the rest of the squad just is nowhere near up to it, especially at the back. Saturday we played with three out of four at the back not good enough at this level and the fourth decided not to have one of his better days.

The unfortunate thing is that, unless the management team are given some resources, or manage to create some, this is unlikely to get much better, as we will continue to leak goals.

philthesaddler
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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:10 am

Pedro wrote:**** NEWS FLASH ***

Phil has not moaned about Palmer is this a 1st ? :D


I thought he had an average game... he's certainly played much, much worse than that and still people have defended him!

Bernie
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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:38 am

Neil Ravenscroft wrote:What Saturday showed is the paucity of the so-called "team building" done by Mullen. He managed to acquire a load of crocks and misfits who, when they are together as an ELEVEN ain't bad. Trouble is, you need 16 or 17 players over a season and the rest of the squad just is nowhere near up to it, especially at the back. Saturday we played with three out of four at the back not good enough at this level and the fourth decided not to have one of his better days.

As opposed to the brilliant team building of Richard Money?

Money brought over 20 players to the club - only one of whom played yesterday - Clayton Ince. All the rest were either signed by Mullen, products of our youth system, or here before Money arrived.

After two years of Richard Money's absymal efforts in building up a squad it is a bit much to put all the blame for our wafer thin squad on Mullen. Imagine if Money had arrived at Walsall and found only three experienced outfield players, and then had to rely on his summer signings for the rest of the season, with no money even to bring in loan players.

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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:04 pm

Bernie wrote:
Neil Ravenscroft wrote:What Saturday showed is the paucity of the so-called "team building" done by Mullen. He managed to acquire a load of crocks and misfits who, when they are together as an ELEVEN ain't bad. Trouble is, you need 16 or 17 players over a season and the rest of the squad just is nowhere near up to it, especially at the back. Saturday we played with three out of four at the back not good enough at this level and the fourth decided not to have one of his better days.

As opposed to the brilliant team building of Richard Money?

Money brought over 20 players to the club - only one of whom played yesterday - Clayton Ince. All the rest were either signed by Mullen, products of our youth system, or here before Money arrived.

After two years of Richard Money's absymal efforts in building up a squad it is a bit much to put all the blame for our wafer thin squad on Mullen. Imagine if Money had arrived at Walsall and found only three experienced outfield players, and then had to rely on his summer signings for the rest of the season, with no money even to bring in loan players.


Not true. Money signed Troy Deeney too. He also signed Mattis (admittedly, he left after that and was re-signed by Mullen, but he was identified by RM).

Also, of the rest of the twelve players on Saturday, Mullen signed five (Palmer, Mattis, Zaaboub, Reich, Ibehre), Merson one (Gerrard) and four came through the youth system (Smith, Taundry, Nicholls, Bradley) - all of whom made their debuts before Mullen's appointment and became regular members of the squad under RM and were given new contracts under him. So, Money is responsible for the presence of at least as many of Saturday's players as Mullen.

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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:40 pm

Has Bernie just been out-Bernie-d? :shock: :shock: :shock:

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:00 pm

Plastic Hawk wrote:
Bernie wrote:
Neil Ravenscroft wrote:What Saturday showed is the paucity of the so-called "team building" done by Mullen. He managed to acquire a load of crocks and misfits who, when they are together as an ELEVEN ain't bad. Trouble is, you need 16 or 17 players over a season and the rest of the squad just is nowhere near up to it, especially at the back. Saturday we played with three out of four at the back not good enough at this level and the fourth decided not to have one of his better days.

As opposed to the brilliant team building of Richard Money?

Money brought over 20 players to the club - only one of whom played yesterday - Clayton Ince. All the rest were either signed by Mullen, products of our youth system, or here before Money arrived.

After two years of Richard Money's absymal efforts in building up a squad it is a bit much to put all the blame for our wafer thin squad on Mullen. Imagine if Money had arrived at Walsall and found only three experienced outfield players, and then had to rely on his summer signings for the rest of the season, with no money even to bring in loan players.


Not true. Money signed Troy Deeney too. He also signed Mattis (admittedly, he left after that and was re-signed by Mullen, but he was identified by RM).

Also, of the rest of the twelve players on Saturday, Mullen signed five (Palmer, Mattis, Zaaboub, Reich, Ibehre), Merson one (Gerrard) and four came through the youth system (Smith, Taundry, Nicholls, Bradley) - all of whom made their debuts before Mullen's appointment and became regular members of the squad under RM and were given new contracts under him. So, Money is responsible for the presence of at least as many of Saturday's players as Mullen.


And, of course, three crucial players in Mullen's plans, Ricketts, Hughes and Roberts were injured - hardly surprisingly in the case of two of them, judging by their records so far. Too many crocks and not enough cover.

Whatever point Bernie keeps trying to prove I fail to understand. Whatever your opinion, Money's team worked, Mullen's didn't.

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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:01 pm

King Crimson wrote:Has Bernie just been out-Bernie-d? :shock: :shock: :shock:


:lol:

Bernie
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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:07 pm

Plastic Hawk wrote:Not true. Money signed Troy Deeney too. He also signed Mattis (admittedly, he left after that and was re-signed by Mullen, but he was identified by RM).

Also, of the rest of the twelve players on Saturday, Mullen signed five (Palmer, Mattis, Zaaboub, Reich, Ibehre), Merson one (Gerrard) and four came through the youth system (Smith, Taundry, Nicholls, Bradley) - all of whom made their debuts before Mullen's appointment and became regular members of the squad under RM and were given new contracts under him. So, Money is responsible for the presence of at least as many of Saturday's players as Mullen.

I would give the credit for the players who have come through our youth system to Mick Halsall. It was the failure of so many of the players signed by Richard Money that meant they were given their chance in the first team earlier than would have been expected.

Deeney was 18 when he came, but had been working full time on a building site during the critical years when a young player develops his skills, and needed a couple of years in a youth programme before he would possibly be ready for regular first team action. Unfortunately lack of alternatives has meant that he has been played far too often.

Mattis came on loan for three matches in September 2007 because the summer signings by Richard Money were so abysmal.

None of that makes the slightest dent in the argument that Richard Money brought a lot of rubbish to the club and left us with only three experienced outfield players at the end of last season. It is a bit much to expect a manager on a moderate budget to repair all that damage in one go.

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belgiansaddler
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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:55 pm

I don't think any of the managers can be blamed totally for our lack of squad building due to the fact that WFC simply don't do long or even meduium term planning. We only ever offer short term contracts, basically to get us through the current season. As a result we're left with having to rebuild every summer and usually only have a few crocks, journey men and no hopers left to choose from. I certainly don't think we are alone in that amongst lower division teams but still think it is a great pity.

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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:59 pm

Some say Mullen didnt build a good team, some same Money didnt build a good team... whats the common factor?

Jeff Bonser and Paul Taylor.

Nuff Said.

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Re: Hereford United (H) League 1 Saturday 24/1/09.

Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:09 pm

Can't believe Bernie is still on about this.

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